Raj Kumar Painter

I live and work out of 7/104 Mandaoli in the Ganga Shah Colony. It’s a tight-knit area where everyone is pretty much living on top of each other. I’ve been a painter for many years, and this is where I keep all my tools and supplies. My room is often cluttered with half-used tins of paint and rolls of tape. I don't have a fancy store or a showroom. If someone wants to see what I can do, I just show them pictures on my phone or they look at the neighbors' houses I’ve already finished. Most of my work comes from people in the colony or just a few streets over. I spend my days walking to different jobs with a ladder over my shoulder. It’s tiring work, especially when the stairs are narrow and I have to haul everything up. I like the feeling of finishing a room and seeing it look clean and new. My clothes are always covered in little white specks of paint, no matter how careful I am. People in Ganga Shah Colony know me by name, so I don't have to do much to find work. It’s just one day after another, making sure the lines are straight and the color is what the customer wanted. It is a modest life, but it’s what I know how to do best with my hands.